Australian National University

Australian National University (ANU) is a public university in Canberra, the capital of Australia, and ANU’s about page says it was founded in 1946. It is one of the options in our guide to studying in Australia from Nepal and our list of universities in Australia for international students.

This profile is for Nepali students considering ANU for a bachelor’s or a master’s. It covers why students choose it, where its campuses are, what it costs, when courses start, work rights, scholarships and a few courses open to international students. The courses open to you, with level, length and campus, are in our ANU courses guide. Entry requirements, documents and the application steps are in our ANU admissions guide.

Why do Nepali students choose Australian National University?

ANU suits Nepali students who want an in-person degree on one Canberra campus, in areas such as computing, engineering, commerce and public health.

• Computing without a computing background. The Master of Computing is written for graduates from other fields and is accredited by the Australian Computer Society. After +2, you can look at the Bachelor of Computing.
• Engineering with work experience. The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) takes 4 years and includes 60 days of work experience, which meets Engineers Australia accreditation requirements.
• Commerce and accounting. The Bachelor of Commerce covers business after +2. The Master of Professional Accounting takes 1.5 years after a bachelor’s, and its page lists the extra courses you need for CPA or CA associate membership.
• A one-year pathway. ANU’s Diploma of Computing and Diploma of Business and Economics are pathway diplomas that start in February. ANU may also offer you an alternative course if you don’t qualify for your first choice, as its pathways page explains.
• Canberra. ANU estimates about AUD 33,000 to 39,000 a year to live on your own in Canberra. That is roughly Rs 30 to 35 lakh, on its cost of living page. Our guide to the best cities in Australia for Nepali students compares other cities.

Where are Australian National University’s campuses?

ANU teaches its coursework degrees at the Acton campus in central Canberra, and its other sites are observatories and research or field stations.

We found no partner-run campus teaching ANU courses in Australia, and the CRICOS register’s ANU entry lists only Acton and Mount Stromlo as study locations. ANU’s CRICOS provider code is 00120C; check it and your course’s code on the register before you pay. See ANU’s campuses page for each site. ANU says international students on in-person courses must be in Canberra and attend campus.

How much does Australian National University cost for international students?

Most ANU course pages we read list an annual fee of AUD 57,640 for international students, and the general fee bands run from AUD 47,940 to AUD 64,130.

The usual fee is roughly Rs 52 lakh a year, and the bands are roughly Rs 43 to 58 lakh. To see what these amounts are worth today, use our AUD to Rs forex converter. Each band is the price of 48 units, a normal full-time year. ANU’s international tuition fees page says fees are reviewed each year and may rise during your studies.

Examples: the Master of Public Health lists AUD 54,540, and the Master of Professional Psychology lists AUD 60,870. The Doctor of Medicine and Surgery has a higher fee of its own. You also pay the Services and Amenities Fee, about AUD 386 for a full-time year, and OSHC is separate.

You pay a deposit to accept your offer, and ANU’s acceptance page says the amount is in your offer letter. If you withdraw in writing at least four weeks before the start date, ANU refunds your fees less AUD 250. Closer to the start, but before census date, it keeps AUD 2,500.

The fee refunds page doesn’t state a separate visa refusal rule, so ask ANU before you pay. If you worry about refusals, read our page on Australia visa success rates for Nepali students.

Living costs come on top. For the student visa, Home Affairs asks you to show AUD 29,710 for a year of living costs. You also show first-year tuition and AUD 2,000 for travel; the Australia student visa requirements page explains how. See the total cost to study in Australia and the cost of living in Australia for a full budget.

When are Australian National University’s intakes?

ANU has two intakes, Semester 1 in February and Semester 2 in July, and most courses we read take students in both.

Applications for Semester 1 usually close in mid-December, and for Semester 2 usually in mid-May. Crawford School of Public Policy courses usually close earlier, in October and April. Dates are on the key dates section of ANU’s international applications page. Courses with extra selection criteria can differ, so check your course’s page.

The Bachelor of Computing, the Bachelor of Commerce and the Master of Computing list both intakes. The Bachelor of International Business, the Bachelor of Health Science and the two diplomas above list February only.

Aim to apply 6 to 9 months before your start date, so there is time for the offer, the CoE, OSHC and your visa.

If you track document dates in Bikram Sambat, our Nepali date converter turns B.S. dates into A.D. dates. For the full calendar, read our guide to Australia intakes.

Can you work while studying at Australian National University and after you graduate?

Yes. You can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session, with no limit in official breaks, and many graduates can then apply for a 485 visa.

Our guide to working hours for students in Australia explains the fortnight rule, and Home Affairs sets the 485 rules:

• Degree graduates can look at the Post-Higher Education Work stream, usually 2 to 3 years.
• Diploma and trade graduates can look at the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, up to 18 months, if the qualification matches an occupation on the skilled list.
• For both streams you must be 35 or under, and the fee starts from AUD 5,750.

No course gives you the visa automatically. Your course must be CRICOS registered and meet the study rule, so check its code.

ANU says you must study at least one face-to-face course each study period, and no more than 33.3% of your course online. That is on its page for student visa holders. Our Australia 485 visa page explains each stream.

Which scholarships can Nepali students get at Australian National University?

The ANU International Achievement Award takes 20% off tuition for up to 4 years, and ANU considers eligible international students automatically.

How the main scholarship works:

• Amount: 20% off tuition, which is about AUD 11,500 a year on a fee of AUD 57,640. The 25% and 50% rates are for South East Asia and the Pacific.
• Who can get it: new international students with an entry score of 85 for a bachelor’s, or a GPA of 5.5 out of 7 for a master’s. Nepal isn’t on the list of countries sent to the separate Vice-Chancellor’s award.
• What you have to do: apply for your course. There is no separate application, but you accept the scholarship offer separately from your course offer.
• When: the award is open all year.

Several featured ANU awards, such as the Vice-Chancellor Scholars Program, are for domestic students, so read the eligibility line first. Details are on ANU’s International Achievement Award page and scholarships page. Our guide to scholarships in Australia for Nepali students lists other awards.

What do you need to get into Australian National University from Nepal?

For a master’s, ANU’s Nepal table equals 2.0 out of 4.0 to its usual 5.0 out of 7, and most courses ask for IELTS 6.5 with no band under 6.0.

For a bachelor’s, ANU’s undergraduate entry list doesn’t include a Nepal qualification, so ask ANU how it reads your +2. PTE Academic is 64 with 60 in each skill, and psychology is stricter: the Master of Clinical Psychology needs IELTS 7.0 in every band. To see where your +2 grades stand, convert your NEB GPA to a percentage with our NEB GPA calculator. Then compare with our page on requirements to study in Australia from Nepal.

You may also hear that a university is “level 1”. Home Affairs doesn’t publish evidence levels for providers or countries, so read our page on level 1, 2 and 3 universities in Australia instead of relying on agent lists.

What can you study at Australian National University?

ANU teaches diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s and research degrees, with computing, engineering, business, science, health, environment and public policy open to international students.

The cards below are a selection, each read on ANU’s own course pages. Other choices include the Master of Machine Learning and Computer Vision and the Master of Project Management. ANU’s Master of Business Administration is limited to certain groups, such as sponsored professionals with 5 years of managerial experience, so it isn’t a general route.

For each type of course, see our guides to IT courses in Australia, accounting courses in Australia and environmental science courses in Australia. ANU is also in the Group of Eight universities, if you are comparing research universities.

Program Details

Where do Australian National University students live?

ANU has 18 managed residences on campus, from about AUD 319 to AUD 629 a week, and it says every student who applies gets a room offer.

That is roughly Rs 29,000 to 57,000 a week. Self-catered halls such as Burton and Garran Hall start at the low end, and catered halls such as Burgmann College sit at the high end. Postgraduates can look at Toad Hall, from about AUD 335 a week.

ANU says utilities and internet are included, and that applying early gives you the best chance of your preferred room. See ANU’s housing page, its accommodation offer page and our guide to student accommodation in Australia, and don’t travel before you have somewhere to stay.

Our counselors in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara can look at your marks and budget with you. Get in touch with a Goreto branch if you want a second opinion on ANU.

Official Australian National University links

• International students at ANU
• How ANU assesses your application
• Fees and payments
• English language requirements
• Programs and courses
• Entry scores for Nepal (postgraduate)

Frequently asked questions about Australian National University